Archive for March, 2010

On April 1st Heath Ceramics will release a limited edition Summer Seasonal Collection. As you probably know by literature review writing now, I love – okay, adore – everything that Heath Ceramics makes, and their their new Ocean Pacific pattern has me wishing for an unlimited budget (and space) to continue building my humble collection.

From Heath: the Seasonal concept gives us a chance to explore new colors, techniques and ideas without altering our standard line. We offer them in limited edition runs, as a way to explore our creativity, and push the limits of our design and manufacturing capabilities.

This season we bring you Ocean Pacific, a three-color pattern created by two glazes. It starts with aqua — each piece is hand-dipped. Once dry (within moments), the piece is dipped again, this time in zest yellow. In the area where the aqua and zest overlap, another vibrant yellow is created. The resulting pattern resembles the horizon line of the sea on a bright summer day — the inspiration palette for the 2010 Summer Collection.

AMAZING. Maybe it’s crazy that these little pieces of art can fill my being with such joy, but I think that’s just it – everything Heath makes are objects of art. Not to mention that I’m craving bright splashes of color following the subtle surroundings of winter. Enjoy.

I am in love with this home for Australian floral artist Joost Bakker. Pick up the current issue of Interior Design Magazine – or read it here – because the entire article written on the project is well worth the read. My favorite feature: there are more than 11,00 terra cotta flower pots “cladding” this home, planted every summer with strawberries!

Reknit was launched as a small project to share a resourceful family tradition with the world, and to encourage my mom to partake in her hobby more often. The project is based around the idea of reclaiming yarn from old clothes, and reknitting that yarn into something new and useful. It’s a really simple form of re-using/re-purposing that can be very fun.

Folks interested in participating in the project send an old sweater and $30 to Haik’s mom, who then unravels the old sweater and knits it into something new. January’s project was a scarf, February featured fingerless gloves and March’s hat project sold out in a day, from what I heard (they limit orders to 30 per month, because, as Haik says, he only has one mom). On the ballot for April are a laptop case, a baby jacket, socks, or sweatbands.

Today I’m working on a design for a shelving unit that spans two steel columns and features one of my favorite materials – Kirei Board.

Kirei Board is a strong, lightweight, durable, environmentally friendly substitute for wood. Manufactured from reclaimed sorghum straw and bound with a formaldehyde-free adhesive, Kirei Board is a lovely material for furniture, cabinetry, casework and a variety of interior design elements. Kirei comes in several sizes, ranging from 6 to 30 millimeters in thickness. I love the pattern and texture it presents, and requires only a simple coat of wax to finish.

The shelving unit that I’m working on will feature Kirei Board slabs bolted to a raw steel framework, which, in turn, will be welded to existing exposed steel columns. This assembly sits in a double-height space adjacent to a dining area, which is home to a steel table finished with a Kirei Board top. I’ll be sure to post images of the finished piece!

I realized today that it’s been over a month since my last blog posting. So much for that overly-ambitious cheapest essay writing service five-postings-per-week schedule. February always does a job on me, and this has been a particularly long winter. But the sun is warming up and signs of spring are everywhere.

Fortunately, February was also extremely productive. I’m happy to announce that we just finished some nice website updates and have spent lots of time sprucing up this very blog.

OF NOTE:

We’ve added a graphic and a link to Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine. I’m embarking on a collaborative adventure with Colorado Homes, and will be contributing a weekly feature to their lovely blog. The focus will be on the life of a particular project, allowing readers to follow the design and construction process while learning about materials, green-building strategies, experiences with the new City of Boulder Compatible Development regulations and so much more. Our first post should happen next week!

We’ve recently joined Ellie’s List, a Boulder-based resource for green-minded building and design professionals. Watch for their national launch on Earth Day 2010.